Cuba says it holds the U.S. government responsible for the release of a Cuban exile blamed for the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner.

In a statement on the state-run newspaper, Granma, the Cuban government condemned the release of Luis Posada Carriles, who was freed on bond from a U.S. jail Thursday.

Havana accused the United States of having double standards in the fight against terrorism.

Posada Carriles, a former U.S. intelligence operative, has been ordered to remain under house arrest while he goes on trial in May on immigration fraud charges. He is wanted in Cuba and Venezuela for the 1976 airline bombing that killed 73 people.

Posada Carriles is a naturalized Venezuelan citizen, and is accused of plotting the bombing in Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has demanded that the United States deport him to Venezuela to stand trial.

Cubans have rallied outside the the U.S. Interests Section in Havana to protest the release of the 79-year-old.

Cuba and Venezuela accuse the United States of harboring a terrorist.

Posada Carriles has been in U.S. custody since 2005 for illegally entering the country. He was indicted earlier this year on immigration charges.